Nature Pre-Submission Checklist: Is Your Paper Ready for the World's Top Journal?

Significance and breadth

1. Would scientists in at least two different fields care about this result?

This is Nature's fundamental editorial test. A paper that advances one subfield, even dramatically, belongs in a field journal. Nature publishes results that change how multiple disciplines think about a problem. Before you submit, identify at least two research communities outside your own that would change their work based on this finding.

2. Can you state the advance in one sentence without jargon?

Nature editors read across all sciences. If the significance of your result requires specialist terminology to explain, the paper may be too narrow for Nature. The abstract and title need to communicate importance to a scientifically literate non-specialist.

3. Is the result still likely to be important in five years?

Nature prefers results with lasting significance over time-sensitive incremental advances. If the paper is mainly interesting because it is timely rather than because it changes understanding, it may get attention but not survive the desk screen.

Evidence completeness

4. Is the evidence package complete enough to withstand aggressive review?

Nature reviewers are the toughest in science. They will ask for controls you did not think of, alternative explanations you did not address, and validation approaches you did not try. Before submission, ask: what is the most aggressive reviewer question, and can the paper answer it without new experiments?

5. Are the methods and data sufficient for full reproducibility?

Nature requires detailed methods (in online Methods section), data availability, and code availability. Custom code must be deposited in a public repository. Data must be available in a public archive or as supplementary material.

6. Does the first figure communicate the central finding?

Nature editors look at the abstract and figures before reading the full paper. If your most important result is in Figure 4, the first impression is weaker than it needs to be. The first figure should make the central advance visible at a glance.

Reporting and compliance

7. Is the Nature reporting summary complete?

Nature requires the Nature Portfolio reporting summary for all research submissions. This covers study design, statistical methods, reagent validation, data availability, and materials. It must be submitted alongside the manuscript. Download it from the Nature author guidelines page and complete every applicable section.

8. Are all statistical claims properly supported?

Exact p-values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, sample sizes, and the specific test used. Nature has strict statistical reporting standards. Vague statistical language ("data were analyzed using appropriate tests") will be flagged.

9. Is the clinical trial registered (if applicable)?

Any clinical research must be registered in a recognized registry before enrollment begins. The registration number must appear in the abstract.

Ethics and integrity

10. Are all ethics approvals documented?

Human subjects: IRB approval with institution and number in Methods. Animal studies: IACUC approval. Both must be explicit. Nature will not send a manuscript for review without complete ethics documentation.

11. Is the data availability statement concrete?

"Data available upon reasonable request" is not sufficient for Nature. Data must be deposited in a discipline-specific or general repository with accession numbers. Source data for all figures and tables must be provided.

Strategic fit

12. Have you considered a presubmission inquiry?

Nature encourages presubmission inquiries. A brief letter describing the work can get editorial feedback on fit before you prepare a full submission. This saves weeks of preparation time if the editors do not see the paper as suitable.

Use the presubmission inquiry especially when: the result is at the boundary between Nature and a Nature-family journal, the significance is field-specific but potentially broader, or you are uncertain whether the evidence package is complete enough.